As the Cowboys and Superbowl champion Giants get another NFL journey underway on Thursday morning (Australian time), here is a glance at who is likely to be leading the way in the AFC.
New England Patriots (13-3 in 2011/12)
Surprise, surprise, the Patriots feature at the head of a season preview. Last year’s runners-up are looking to go one better and overcome the disappointment of Eli Manning’s game-winning drive at Superbowl XLVI.
As if Tom Brady needed any more weapons to work with, the Pats acquired Brandon Lloyd to slot into the second wide receiver position. He joins Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez as part of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive setups.
Steven Ridley moves up to lead running back with the departure of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and while there will be some question marks on the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots have shown time again they’re more than capable of winning the shootouts.
Houston Texans (10-6)
While many fans and pundits claim just being in the playoffs for the first time was achievement enough for the Texans, the players themselves will be yearning for more after coming up short against Baltimore in last season’s divisional playoff.
When you consider that quarterback Matt Schaub played just 10 games and star back Arian Foster played 13, it’s not unreasonable to expect even more from Houston this year, especially with a favourable AFC South schedule.
Although the Titans and Colts figure to be much-improved units in 2012, it’s unlikely they will be at the calibre to challenge the Texans for the division crown.
Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
Like San Francisco, the Ravens fell agonisingly shy of a Superbowl appearance last season, going down 23-20 in New England.
Armed with one of the NFL’s premier backs in Ray Rice, the Ravens are likely to stick with the brutal ground game of attrition that has proven such an effective weapon for them in recent years.
Quarterback Joe Flacco has played every game since his rookie year in 2008 and while unspectacular, his sound game-management and decision-making skills are a big part of this team’s post-season appearances in each one of those years.
Expect them to fight out the AFC North with the Steelers once more.
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Still licking their wounds from the pain inflicted by Tim Tebow, Pittsburgh go into 2012 with the core of the roster that has seen them feature in six of the last eight post-seasons.
While perhaps not as sprightly as he once was, Ben Roethlisberger’s experience will be invaluable, while an injury to running back Rashard Mendenhall has delayed the start of his season which sees Isaac Redman step in for the interim, or perhaps longer.
Most don’t expect the Steelers to match or improve their 12-4 record of last season in a largely improved AFC North, but this is one unit to write off at your peril.
Others: Chargers (8-8), Jets (8-8), Bengals (9-7)
Despite winning four of their last five games, the damage was already done for the Chargers with six consecutive losses towards the end of 2011. Norv Turner is coaching for his future and will likely need more than a .500 record to retain his role.
While this roster is capable of achieving that in what looms as a stronger division this year, San Diego has shown little in recent seasons to suggest they can be a model of consistency.
If Superbowls were won by talk, hype and media events, the New York Jets would be the three-time defending champions. Sadly for the green half of the Big Apple, they’re not, and the Jets will need to muscle up to prove they still belong in playoff discussion.
The arrival of Tim Tebow and new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano could act as motivation and a breath of fresh air for Mark Sanchez, or it could cloud the situation even further. With zero pre-season wins though, the Jets will want to click early or suffer the wrath of fans.
The Bengals surprised a lot of people last season by clinching a playoff berth, despite a first round exit at the hands of Houston.
The acquisition of Green-Ellis from the Patriots will undoubtedly aid the run game, but it’s a very tough division to be a part of, with three of the four teams featuring in the 2011/12 playoffs.
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